This post was long overdue. It’s just that I’ve been crazy busy and dead tired this entire week! So anyway! I should get down to business!

As I relax on my brand new, cushy black couch, with my legs resting over the coffee table top, the laptop on my, well… lap, I can see my misshapen toes twiddling, when I tilt my head a little to my right. Purple nail polish! What was I thinking!!? It’s chipping anyway! I need to get rid of it!

You know, just when I was wondering how I could make myself more useful….Teach India came along. *smiles*

It’s a wonderful initiative by the Times Group. For more information log on to http://www.teach.timesofindia.com/

Anyhow, two of my friends Achintya and Varsha have already been teaching kids at this NGO is called Pratham, every Sunday. I decided to go along with them last Sunday and see what it is like. He had been telling me what a pleasure it is to interact with those kids and how adorable and smart they are. I wanted to meet them!

As we snaked through the shady lanes of Manish market in the scorching heat, I was beginning to wonder what the place must look like if it was amid these intimidating lanes. My musings came to a halt when an old, dilapidated 4 storey building emerged through the stall infested streets. One could see vague traces of green and white paint that once adorned the walls, peeling off.The architecture looked rather Victorian and really old! The rickety and dusty staircase wound its way right to the top floor. As we slowly climbed , I could see dirty and deserted hallways where battered tomcats roamed and several mice and lizards scampered about. I was starting to get a little anxious. But fourth floor welcomed us with a cluster of happy faces and excited voices and waving hands! There were kids of almost all ages running about, screaming, yelling, giggling, and squealing. Suddenly the feeling of alien-ness melted away and I felt as I had been there before and that these kids were as happy to see me as they were to see their beloved teachers! I waved back at everyone.

In the following 2 hours session, Achintya and Varsha took turns to teach. Both of them were brilliant! They managed to keep the kids hooked on till the end of the session and I was amazed at how bright these kids were! How inquisitive and how smart!! Their spirit and sense of humor amazed me! And so humble! Most of these kids are really ambitious and I met this one fellow called Sameer who wanted to be a doctor….a really bright kid! Full of questions! Then Arif, one of the funniest and smartest kids I’ve ever come across! He wants to be an engineer….and on asking everyone what they wanted to learn for the next week, Arif said something that cracked us up!

“Oh! I wanna know about planes! How do planes crash!?!?” (hehehahhaha!)

A lot of these kids want to become social workers when they grow up. *smiles*

Just when we were about to leave, the younger lot of the children put up dance performances for us. And there was this boy, no more than 5 years of age, who boogied to the tune of 'dard-e-disco'!(not one of my favorite songs, but anyway! ) And OMG! He could give Micheal Jackson a run for his money!! He was bloody brilliant! And sooooo adorable!

I was told most of these kids are either orphaned or abandoned, with not much of a future to look forward to, but their courage and hope keeps them going! It was lovely and refreshing to meet people like them! It was a great experience! I’m really glad I went along.

Thanks Chintoo! :)

Although it makes me sad to think how less they have and how much more they deserve!

And then I complain about not being to able to shop enough or not having a big enough bedroom!! Sheesh! I should learn from these children, who wake up at 4 everyday morning to do all the cleaning and washing themselves!

It's funny how a bunch of strangers can make you feel at home .......while people at home seem like strangers!

Life couldn’t get weirder!! There are hues of greys and blacks and then there are vibrant bursts of colors!